The Cecil Whig., 1887-12-17

hand, sprung TO meet them with untold
eladness in her eyes, that still looked
beyond them III search OF something
more.
"Lucy's all right. Mother !" cried
Robert. at it had not been for Mr.
Hawlcy, though, and Richard Cooper
and the rest, we'd have had a night o
il in the old cedar tree. We couldn't
get 4 bit farther with the meal and
Lucy So we scooped out the snow III
the big hollow, put Lucy in first, wher
we mad made sure there wasn't fox OF
any thing inside; crawIed in ourselves,
with big stick apiece to keep of enc.
mics, and were getting very hungry
and sleepy, when light flashed in oul
eyes"
But where is Lucy?" interrupted
Mrs. Olcott.
"Oh, they are bringing her Ant
Mother, Mr.. fiawlcy has been scolding
us half the way home fer going 10 mil
on such day. And we never told hin
that we hadn't meal enough in the
house to last till tomrrow. We took il
brave"
''Inat's right, my good boys; but how
did they find you:?" Mrs. Olcott de.
mandcd.
They didn't we found them," criet
Rupert. They had lantern, and We
saw 1t and then We made dash aftel
the ligli, and brought them back to the
hollow. When they drew Lucy out
she was iasi asleep, and as warm a:
toast, oeus. Robert gave her his jacket.
and | tied my muftler on her, too
And sne's fast asleep this minute
| DO believe !" added Robert, as two
vigorous young men entered, one
drawing the slcd-load OF meal and the
other bearing Lucy in his arms.
From that night in November little
Roger grew more and more away from
the bleak New England lite.
1t was evident to every one who saw
the lad that he was going to the shining
shore, e,-although the little Puritan boy
had never heard much of its being {
shining shore,-and | think that was
the reason he tell to thinking 50 much
Of the beautiful Christmas bough. He
talked of it when awake, he dreamed oI
it when he slept; and he told his dreams
and said with tears on his cheeks, how
sorry he was to awake and find that he
hadn't seen it after all-and oh, he
wanted to 50 much
The time of Christmas in that far
far away year drew near, and in all the
land there was not Christmas bell, a
Christmas tree, nor even a Christmas
gift.
Beautiful Mrs. OIcott felt that hel
little Roger was getting very near to
the heavenly land. A physician from
Boston had come down, and told hc1
that the lad must die. This bright
little mother wished, oh, SO much to
make her child happy, and his little
heart was set on seeing a Christmas
bough before he died. She could not
withstand his wishes, and she said to
herself, al | am punished for it as
long as | live, Roger shall see a Christ
mas bough." So she took her boys,
Robert and Rubert, and little Lucy,
outside the house one day, just week
before Christmas, and told them what
she was going to do.
40 Motherr!' exclaimed Robert, the
eldest son. They'll persecute you to
death they'll drive US into the wider
ness we shall lose our home and
everything !'
Remember, boys, your mother has
been into the wilderness once, ard she
isn't afraid OF that. We shall have the
Christmas bough ! l am going up to
,s,on tomorrow, If the day is fine,
and I'll fetch back some nice little
trnkets for poor Roger. May be ship
has come in lately; one is expected"
On the morrow, clad in the scarlet
cloak, Mrs. Olcott set forth for Boston.
She had not been there since the day
she went up to see the ship sail, with
her husband on 1.-THE ship that never
had been heard from. But that was
more than three years before, and it
was in going home from Boston that
Roger had been SO hurt and manned
that his little life was spoiled.
Great was the astonishment in Ply
mouth when it was learned that the
Widow Olcott had gone to Boston.
Why had she TO go to Boston, She had
no folk living there to go to see and
what had she been buying, they won
dered, when she came back. Mrs.
Hawl1y went down the hill that same
day to make inquiry, and found out
very little.
As soon as Mrs. Olcott was we'll rid
of Mrs. Hawley, she called her boys,
and babe them 60 to the pine-woods
and get the finest, handsomest young
hemlock-tree that they could find.
acct one that is straight and tall,
with well boushed branches on it, and
put it where you can draw it under the
wood shed, after dark, she added.
The boys went to Pine Hill, and
there they picked out the finest young
tree on ali the hill, and sad, 1--WE will
take this one" So, with their hatchet,
they hewed it down and brought it
safely home the next night when all
was dark. And when Roger was
quietly sleeping in the adjoining room,
1. - -1.-..>.i .L,~ .r... ;..t, ti,A l..1,i..,